Hovering Angels
by spottedhorse
Summary: We all need help from a guardian angel from time to time.


Yipee, I have fingers again!

* * *

**O welcome, pure-eyed Faith, white-handed Hope,**  
**Thou hovering angel, girt with golden wings!**  
**~John Milton, _Comus_**

Eugene sat, perched on his…well, perch, high above, watching. He held his hand under his chin in the classical fashion, curled under with his elbow propped on his knee. Deep in thought studying his assignment, he was somewhat started when a voice spoke beside him.

"Still watching, heh?"

Once he'd recovered his balance, Eugene glanced at his new companion. "You almost made me fall," he complained.

His companion laughed. "And no wings to catch you either," he teased.

"Rudy," Eugene scowled, "Peter told you not to tease me like that."

"Who's teasing?" Rudy asked. "Just telling it like it is…" His attention turned to Eugene's assignment. "Him again?"

"Yeah. Peter says I didn't get right last time."

"How…he covered up a murder?" asked a surprised Rudy.

"But he did it to help a friend, Peter pointed out. Seems like whenever he does something that tips him toward the edge, it is because he is helping some one else. I've never seen him once push the limits for himself."

"So then, Peter overturned your judgment?"

"Yeah…said for me to look into the man's heart."

"So did you?"

"I've tried. But he confuses me."

"Confuses you? How?" Rudy asked.

"Well, he seems angry a lot. And…he snaps at people. The other day he was questioning a suspect, one I knew to be innocent, and he arrested the man. Then he yelled at one of the officers.

"Sounds like he knew the man was innocent too."

"He told her that," Eugene answered.

"Her? Her who?"

"The woman he…well, there she comes now," Eugene said as he pointed to a slim blonde sauntering down the hall.

"Ooooo nice," Rudy said as his face brightened. "Who's she?"

"Her name is Sofia. They used to…"

"Oh she's hot," Rudy said, cutting off Eugene. "Betcha I could get into her pants," he added as his eyes raked over the blonde.

"Betcha can't," taunted Eugene knowingly.

Rudy turned to look at his companion. "Yeah, right…forgot… I'm not allowed to go corporal anymore."

"Not after the last time. Actually, I don't know how you got in here; how you didn't get sent," Eugene glanced around nervously, "the other way."

"I heard that," a deeper voice whispered from behind.

"You hear everything, Peter," whined Rudy.

Peter put his hand on Eugene's shoulder. "Concentrate on your assignment. Don't let Rudy get you into trouble."

"Yes, Peter," Eugene answered dutifully. With that Peter disappeared, whisking Rudy away with him. Eugene resumed his watching pose and listened in on the conversation between the two below him.

"You were right, Jim. Conway is innocent. Detective Martin picked up a guy this morning for a shooting over on Commerce and he confessed to the Winters homicide. Tom Conway has been released."

"That's good to hear," Jim Brass said as he leaned back in his chair. "I know the evidence was pointing to Conway, but my gut told me he didn't do it."

Sofia eased into one of the chairs in front of his desk. "So how are you doing?"

"Me? What? I'm fine," Jim answered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just thought…well, Catherine leaving and you and she…"

"Are friends. And I'll miss her but I think it'll be a good change for her. The mess over the Haskell case took something outta her."

"Did something to you as well, Jim. You think I haven't noticed?"

Above them, Eugene perked up. Perhaps she was going to get him to talk about it…the cover-up."

Jim shrugged. "It took something out of all of us. But that's not what's been bugging me," he said as he looked at her sharply, "since you've been back."

Sofia shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Jim you know that…"

He raised his hand, essentially waving her off before he spoke. "I know. But it doesn't change the way I feel."

"I'm sorry," she said almost in a whisper.

"Don't be," he replied softly. "You deserve better than me anyway."

Eugene watched with interest. So that was it. That was why Peter had given him this assignment again. The man needed help; Eugene could see that what was in his heart and it was broken. But it could be fixed and Eugene knew what it would take to fix it. Excitedly he began to plan as Sofia left Jim's office.

Eugene followed Jim as he left and headed home. The man did seem quite melancholy, Eugene thought. Eugene thought back to the anguish the year before. He knew that Jim felt what he'd done for Ray was right under the circumstances. But after that he seemed to spiral downward into melancholy. The call from his friend in Los Angeles hadn't helped. His daughter had been arrested again. Jim hired a lawyer who helped her but that night had been a terrible one for Jim. Eugene had followed him to a bar and watched as the man drank himself into oblivion.

Then there was the case where with the boy, the one Jim had confessed his own father's short comings to. And in the end, Jim had been disappointed again. Thankfully, he hadn't gotten drunk for that one. He'd just gone home and punched the boxing bag in his garage so hard it shook the rafters.

It had been hard watching Jim as he discovered the truth about Detective Vega. Eugene knew that Jim thought Vega was one of the decent ones and had no idea the man had murdered people. The bike ride in the desert was helping, Eugene had thought, until Jim pulled the bike over on the side of the road and started throwing up. He hadn't thrown up like that since the night he got so drunk. Then it was as if the man buried everything deep inside when he returned to Vegas.

But Eugene knew that wasn't true. The biggest hurt was before him almost every day. Their break up a few years ago had been witnessed by Eugene soon after he'd been assigned Jim's case. He should have realized then that Peter was giving him this assignment because of what was about to happen. But Eugene had been new at his job and hadn't grasped it. Jim had gotten drunk then too and been really snarly with everyone for days. Sofia had left, taking a job in another department to put some distance between them. Jim had tried to tell her it wasn't necessary but she'd insisted.

Eugene knew something Jim didn't though. Sofia was pregnant when they broke up. She kept it a secret from everybody, taking her new post for a few months and sitting behind a desk until after the birth. Eugene sat with tears in his eyes as he watched her cry night after night. Eugene never understood her decision to leave; she seemed to want Jim to be a part of it all and yet... she never told Jim about any of it. People confused Eugene. It was obvious that she was sad about being away from Jim but she stubbornly stayed away and never told him about his son. And now she was back …

Returning his focus to Jim, Eugene frowned. The man finished his second drink and was pouring another. It was time to act, Eugene decided.

Using a frowned upon trick that Rudy had taught him, Eugene waved his hand over Jim's face and the man fell into a deep sleep. Only when Eugene was certain that Jim was indeed asleep did he enter the man's dreams.

Afraid to go too far, Eugene decided to simply plant a seed. So as Jim Brass slept, he dreamed of a boy, a son. The boy had his father's dark blue eyes and strong chin. But he had inherited his long legs from his mother along with the color of her hair. The hands were Jim's though and in his dream, Jim was teaching the boy how to use those hands to handle a hockey stick.

"You're going to get into trouble for that," Rudy warned as he popped in beside Eugene.

"Not unless you tell," Eugene replied.

Jim woke a few hours later, fragments of his dream still flitting through his mind. It bothered him, the dream of the boy…his boy, the boy he never had…his son. He wasn't sure why he had dreamed about a son; it wasn't as if he'd ever had one. That was a dream he given up on so many years before. Maybe if he and Sofia had stayed together… but no, that ship had left the dock long go.

Dismissing the dream, Jim prepared for his shift that night. Eugene watched, disappointed that his trickery hadn't had any more effect.

Days passed as Eugene continued to watch over his assignment. Several times Jim and Sofia had crossed paths and Eugene had tried to manipulate the situation but to no avail. "They have to be the two most stubborn people ever," Eugene groused from his perch over Jim's desk one night.

"No, not even close," a deep voice sounded from behind.

Craning his neck, Eugene turned to look at Peter. "I've tried everything I can think of," Eugene complained. "They insist on thwarting my efforts."

Peter chuckled. "Maybe the difficulty is that you have tried getting them to talk about themselves…each other. There is another, you know." And before Eugene could respond, Peter disappeared. Eugene scratched his head, wondering how his "boss" thought he could include the other. Suddenly inspiration came to him.

Three days later Jim had just wrapped a complicated case, having worked two doubles to do so. He was tired and looking forward to a hearty breakfast and some serious time in the sack when the call came in. Day shift was already maxed out and Ecklie appeared in Jim's office doorway to ask him to cover the call. "We've got a situation at the Casa de Bambini over on Philpot. I need someone senior to take it, Jim and all the day shift guys are already on other cases. Can you handle it?"

Letting out a deep breath, Jim rubbed the back of his head briskly, trying to relieve some of the tension in his neck. "Situation?"

"Yeah… some perp walked in and is holding an entire class of kids hostage."

Jim's eyes widened. "An entire class….how many we talking here?" Guy had to be nuts to try to control that many kids at once, Jim was thinking.

"Eighteen kids …three, four and five year olds and two teachers. Apparently the perp has a weapon and is threatening the kids."

Always a sucker when kids were involved, Jim softened. "Okay…okay," he sighed. "I'm heading over now. Units are already there?"

"Yes, two patrol cars have already responded and evacuated the rest of the building."

Eugene sat on his perch, high above the scene, eagerly awaiting Jim's arrival. It had taken a great deal of effort to arrange everything. Toby Johnson, the one holding the class hostage, had been planning this for several days. Eugene learned of it from a co-worker who was grousing about her assignment. When Eugene realized Toby's little girl was at this particular school, his interest increased and after asking Janie a few important questions, he convinced her to help

Rudy volunteered to help with planting the idea in Conrad Ecklie's head that it should be Jim Brass in charge at the scene. They had to work quietly though, in case Peter overheard the plans. Rudy was on probation and Janie was scared of Peter. Eugene didn't relish an admonishment either. But as he watched Jim pull into the parking lot at the school, Eugene was teetering gleefully on his perch. The plan was coming together.

Rudy's appearance beside him almost toppled Eugene off his seat but he was too happy to complain. Rudy seemed excited too, although this wasn't his assignment.

Jim was met by Officer Owens, who had the school Headmistress in tow. Eugene noticed her surprise when Jim identified himself and worried that she might give away the secret before everything…or rather, everyone…was in place.

Jim noticed her expression too but was too focused on the situation to let that distract him. "So this guy that has the class…"Jim began, "he's a parent?"

"Yes, he is,' confirmed Melanie Stephenson, the Headmistress. "His daughter, Madison, is in the class. They've just gone through an ugly breakup and are scheduled for court next week. Mrs. Johnson is trying to get full custody and he believes the judge will grant it."

Jim nodded, taking notes. "So how old is the child…Madison?"

"She's three. This is her first year with us. Mrs. Johnson enrolled her when she went back to work."

"Okay," Jim said calmly. "And the other parents…have they been notified?"

"Yes. I have some of the teachers calling now. We've made contact with all but two or three.," Melanie replied. "Most of the children from the other classes have already been picked up or their parents are on the way. The bank across the street is letting us use one of their conference rooms to hold the others."

"Good…that's good," Jim said reassuringly. "We'll need to have a place for the parents of the children still inside though…separate from the others. They are going to be anxious."

"I'll see what I can do," Melanie said. "If you're finished with me, I'll see about it now."

"Just one more thing," Jim said quickly. "You have a drawing of the layout inside?"

"No…No, but Robyn, one of the teachers is very artistic. I'll have her sketch one up for you right away."

"Thank you," Jim said. "We'll need to know exits, hallways, and any places Toby Johnson could hide."

"I'll tell her," Melanie said as she stepped away.

Jim turned to Owens. "Building is surrounded?"

"All the exits are covered and windows within sight," Owens replied.

"Good; you've done good Owens. SWAT is on the way but I really hope it doesn't escalate to where we need them. I also have Finnegan coming to negotiate. Meantime we just need to keep everybody calm, especially Toby Johnson."

A few minutes later, Officer Martinez saw movement by the front door and reported it. Jim moved into position and watched as the door opened and a small girl walked out. One of the officers nearby snatched her and ran to safety.

The little girl was crying but otherwise unharmed. "My name's Jim," Brass said as he squatted in front of her. "What's your name?"

"Gillian," the small girl said shyly, not looking up and tears still streaming.

"Okay Gillian. Did the man inside tell you to come out?"

Gillian nodded slowly. "Uh-huh…he said to gib you dis," she whimpered as she handed a piece of paper to Jim.

Opening the folded paper, Jim read: _Send in my bitch wife and I'll let the kids go…"_

Jim sighed. No way they were sending the wife in. As far as he knew, she wasn't even on the scene. But at least the guy was talking…sort of.

"Where's Finnegan?" Jim asked Ecklie over the phone a couple of minutes later.

"There was a fender bender on the Interstate. Traffic is piled up and he's in the middle of it," Ecklie explained.

"Damn," Jim exhaled. "Okay….just tell him to get his ass over here as quickly as he can." Jim ended the call angrily.

Turning, he stared at the building. "Here's the drawing you asked for," Melanie said from his right.

Jim looked down at the large paper. "Wow, she is good," he said appreciatively. Studying the sketch, he memorized the outlay. "Okay, so which room are they in?" he asked Melanie.

"This one, she said pointing to one at the very corner of the building. He's probably watching us through the windows."

"And each classroom has its own bathroom?"

"Yes…two actually. They are here, next to the sink and over in that corner is the storage closet. Other than that, there's not much to hide behind since the shelves are low."

Jim nodded as he took in the information. "No adjoining doors?"

"No, each room is self-contained. And there is an observation window next to the door; two way glass, you can see in but odds are he can't see out."

"Okay, thanks." Jim replied as he folded the paper and handed it to Owens as he watched SWAT arrive. "Take this over to SWAT. They need to know it."

Then looking again at Melanie, he sighed. "What surprises will we find in there?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jim shrugged. "I just like to know what I'm walking into. I'm assuming there are no phones."

"That's right; no phones in the rooms. Teachers aren't even allowed cell phones. There are security cameras. The video is fed to a monitor in the teacher's lounge."

Jim perked up. "We can see what's happening in there?"

"Yes, unless he's done something to the camera. They are in the corner, above the door."

Eugene knew what was coming. He knew his subject and the man wasn't one to stand around and wait. He began to fidget on his perch as he realized what Jim was thinking.

Just then another car pulled into the lot. Jim turned, wondering if Finnegan had finally arrived, hoping that was the case. But he was surprised to realize it wasn't who he was expecting but the Deputy Chief instead. His gut began to churn as Sofia Cutis emerged from the car, panic written all over her.

"Sofia?" Jim asked, confused by her presence. "Did Conrad send you to relieve me?"

"No," she said "No, I….I just heard," she stuttered, seemingly unable to speak.

"Ms. Curtis?" Melanie said from Jim's side, surprised as well. "The parents are being asked to meet over at the bank. They have set aside a room…"

"No….no I …." Sofia began.

"Parents?" Jim questioned, even more confused.

Melanie looked at Jim. "Yes, Ms. Curtis has a so…"

Cutting her off, Sofia jumped in. "What's the situation Jim," she asked as she shot a glare at Melanie.

Melanie looked from Jim to Sofia and then back to Jim. Her brow furrowed and she was obviously baffled by Sofia's behavior. But she took a step back, still watching the two.

"We have an angry Dad in there with a class full of kids. Says he'll let them go if we send in his wife. But she isn't here and no way in hell I'm letting her go in anyway."

"Anyone hurt?" Sofia asked fearfully.

"No, not that we know about anyway. And he sent one out with a note," Jim told her.

"He did?" she asked eagerly. "Who did he send out?" she asked a little too keenly.

Melanie jumped in. "Gillian Wilson," she said anxiously. "PJ is still in there," she added sympathetically.

"This can't be happening," Sofia mumbled, visibly coming apart in front of Jim.

Jim knew there were parts of the puzzle he was missing. Something had Sofia unnerved and that had him on edge. And then suddenly, like reels on a one armed bandit, everything fell into place. Grabbing Sofia by her elbow and pulling her behind his car away from the others, he stared into her face. "PJ…he's your kid…" he inquired but more as a statement than a question.

Sofia looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she looked back at him. Finally she nodded in agreement as she cast her eyes down, unable to face him.

High above, Eugene leaned forward, hoping the other pieces would fall into place for Jim. He was looking at Sofia incredulously. "How old is he?" Jim wanted to know.

"He's … he'll be four later this month," Sofia said softly.

Quickly calculating the years, he let out a groan. "Four?" Jim asked, terrified by where this seemed to be going. "He's mi…" he sighed and regrouped. "Is he mine, Sofia? Is he why you broke it off?"

Tears started rolling down Sofia's face. "I was afraid….I thought….you had said you should have never been a father so I thought…" she cried. Lifting her hands helplessly, she sucked in a breath. "I wanted him so much and I was afraid you wouldn't. And I couldn't…I couldn't bear thinking that…well, you might have…." Looking down, she shrugged. "Everything was so confusing and there was so much going on after Sara's kidnapping; Ecklie was on a rampage about Sara and Grissom and… I was afraid he would find out about us and then…" she struggled for air. "Then I found out I was pregnant and you'd said you didn't think having kids was even possible for you but that that time in your life had passed anyway and…and…"

Jim remembered the conversation. They had sought each other out after Sara had been found, both happy she was alive and both still somewhat stunned by the sequence of events. He remembered that night, remembered how vulnerable she sounded, and mentally he began berating himself. He should have known something was off; he should have sensed that something was bothering her. Now he knew what it was.

"You tried to tell me that night….that you were pregnant?"

Her head still down, Sofia merely nodded affirmatively.

"Four huh?" Jim asked as he tried to gather in his own rampant emotions. "So…do you have a picture of him…on you, I mean?"

Sofia looked at him expectantly. "On my phone. Here," she said as she pulled out her phone and began searching pictures of their son. "This is my favorite," she said as she showed him.

Jim took the phone and studied the boy in the picture. He was laughing and pointing at something off camera but the thing that struck Jim the most was his eyes. PJ had clear blue eyes and thick eyelashes and eyebrows, like Jim's had been at that age. And he saw something of himself in the boy's ears too. So many thoughts and feelings bombarded him at once that he was dumbstruck. Why hadn't she told him? Did she think he would be such a bad father that it would be better if the boy never knew him? He was a happy looking kid and cute too and immense pride swelled within Jim as he gazed at the picture. And it hurt too…knowing that he had a kid and had missed out on so much. Anger and sadness, pride and elation, fear and apprehension combined with other nebulous emotions that the professional in Jim knew he couldn't deal with right now. His son needed him thinking clearly. _His son…_

Fighting back emotions that threatened to over whelm him, Jim handed the phone back to Sofia. "I'm going to get him out of there," he promised as he looked directly into her tortured features.

Eugene watched, fascinated. He wasn't sure how he'd expected Jim to react but this surprised him. Showing no signs of excitement or anger, Jim just seemed to accept that he had a son who was in danger. A cloud of inevitability descended over the man as he turned to his car. Opening the trunk, he pulled a Kevlar jacket out and fastened it on himself. Then slowly he made his way to the front of the building. Eugene was worried that Jim would get hurt. Peter would be furious. Glancing back at Sofia, he realized she was worried too.

Jim took a deep breath, glanced over his shoulder at Sofia, and then doggedly moved forward. That bastard had his son and Jim was going to get the boy out of there or die trying. He would do it because PJ was his and Jim looked out for his own. And PJ was Sofia's…and Jim would do anything to ensure her happiness.

Opening the door, he winced as an alarm chime sounded. He moved into the center hall, remembering the drawing of the layout. He ducked into the teacher's lounge to his left and watched the video monitor for the only class that had people in it. The children were in a circle on the floor with the two teachers. Johnson was pacing in front of the windows.

He stepped back into the hall and turning to his right, he slowly moved down the hall until he could see the observation window to the classroom that held the children. Easing up to it, he saw the children all sitting on the floor in a circle. A teacher had two next to her and one little girl in her lap. The other one was also surrounded by frightened children. None of the faces that he could see were PJ which for reasons Jim didn't understand, bothered him. Looking around the room as much as he could without moving too close to the window, he finally located Toby Johnson sitting on a small table by the window, watching he parking lot outside.

Eugene and Rudy had settled above the scene again, both watching to see what Jim's next move would be. "He's going to go charging in there, isn't he?" Rudy whispered to Eugene.

Eugene looked shocked. "I hope not," he answered. "And why are you whispering? You know they can't hear us."

Rudy shrugged. "Just seemed appropriate. Besides, don't want Peter to hear, do we?"

"Hear what?" a deep voice inquired from behind them.

Rudy rolled his eyes as Eugene shrank in posture. "Oh…uh….we're just watching Eugene's assignment," Rudy offered.

Peter appeared next to Eugene. Glaring first at Rudy and then Eugene, he glanced down at the scene unfolding below. "What have you two done now?"

"Oh…um….nothing," Eugene whimpered.

Peter frowned as he studied his young protégé. "Then why are you acting guilty?"

"Yeah Eugene...why all the guilt?" Rudy asked sarcastically.

It was Eugene who rolled his eyes now as he shot Rudy an angry look. "I just thought…. I mean…she's been keeping this secret and….well, I thought he should know," Eugene explained.

Peter's right eyebrow rose almost to meet his snow white hair, his normally serene expression taking on a bit of annoyance. "So you placed all these people in danger, including your assignment?"

"Well… I didn't mean… I mean, I thought….well, Jim usually is pretty good at talking people out of….things," Eugene concluded defeated.

"But he has no way to talk to the man without putting himself and the others in danger," observed Peter.

"Yeah, I didn't think about that," Eugene said remorsefully.

"So how are you going to make this right?" Peter asked.

"I um… I'm not sure…" Eugene fumbled.

Peter gazed down upon the scene once again. Then suddenly, he waved his hand.

Below them, Jim suddenly was filled with an inspiration. Simple really; he would knock on the door. The responding reply was perhaps even less complicated and also amazing. "Come in?"

Gingerly Jim opened the door and stepped into the room. He heard the teachers gasp softly and saw the children getting excited. "Hi," he said with a smile. "My name is Jim."

Toby Johnson stood from his table. "You bring the bitch with you?"

"Uh…no," Jim answered. "We can't find her. But I wanted to talk to you anyway…see if we can't work something out here."

"No. I need to talk to her," Toby said flatly.

"Yeah…I get it. What'd she do to you anyway?" Jim asked sympathetically.

"She…." Toby glanced at his daughter and then took a few steps closer to Jim. Speaking softly he continued, "she cheated on me. Maddy isn't mine," he said with tears in his eyes. "I love her to death but she isn't mine."

Stunned, Jim closed his eyes and fought the nausea that he felt rising from his gut. "Really?" he finally managed. Looking at the other man, Jim knew exactly what he was feeling. "Look man, I understand…"

Toby shot him a disbelieving glance before lowering his eyes, tears now freely falling. "No, really….I do," Jim said softly. "My ex….she did the same thing. Thought it would kill me when I found out. I was so pissed; hell, I still am pissed and it's been twenty years. But the thing is…you are Maddy's Daddy. She needs you to step up and be that for her. And you can't do that from jail."

Toby looked up at Jim and frowned. "She…you think she … I don't know. I love her so much but…"

"But nothing," Jim said firmly. "That kid is just as much yours now as she was before you found out. You just weren't the sperm donor. That's all that's changed between the two of you. Now, I screwed up. I was so angry and so determined to get back at my ex that I ruined things between me and my daughter. I don't want to see you do that, man. Your little girl needs you."

"But your daughter, she went on without you," Toby said with a hint of a question in his tone.

"Yeah, she went on alright. She got into drugs and…all sorts of bad stuff and I haven't seen her in years. She won't talk to me. I still love her, want to help her but she's too far gone. Don't let that happen to your little Maddy. Come on man, let these kids go."

"But…I'll still go to jail; I've done this and now they'll…" Toby looked at Jim pointedly, "you'll send me to jail."

"For awhile," Jim shrugged. "Just until we get all this straightened out. But a good lawyer will get you out of this mess. But you keep this going and no one will be able to help you. And do you really want this to be what Maddy remembers about you?"

Toby swallowed and looked down at his daughter. Then nodded, he handed his gun over to Jim. "It's not loaded," he said.

Sighing with relief, Jim checked the clip and the chamber and sure enough, there were no bullets. In fact, as he looked at the gun more closely, he realized the safety was soldered into the on position. There was no way the gun could have been fired.

Looking up at Toby, Jim grinned. "Okay. Let's let these kids out of here and then I'll walk you out." Toby nodded and slumped back into a seated position on a table.

Jim watched as each child filed past but did not see PJ. Worriedly he glanced around. "Is this all of them?" he asked the second teacher as she ushered the last of the group.

"All except PJ," she replied. "He's asleep in the book corner," she said as she indicated a corner of the room opposite. "He slept through the whole thing," she smiled nervously.

Jim smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

Walking over to PJ, Jim knelt down and gently nudged the boy, who woke groggily. "Who are you?" he asked thickly.

Hesitating, Jim finally said, "My name's Jim. Your mother sent me to get you."

"You know the password?" the boy asked.

Chuckling Jim tried to think what Sofia might have used. Finally he gave up and told the boy, "I don't know but she's my boss and she's going to be pretty upset with me if I don't bring you to her."

"You work for my Mommy?"

"Yeah, Jim answered as he pulled out his badge. "See, I've got a gold badge and everything."

PJ crawled into Jim's arms. "That's it….gold badge," he said shyly.

Peter glared at Eugene as Jim stood with PJ in his arms and motioned for Toby to walk with them. "When we get outside an officer is going to cuff you, Toby. Don't say anything until you have a lawyer, okay."

Once they were outside, Eugene, Rudy, and Peter followed and hovered above the parking lot, watching.

Sofia ran towards Jim and PJ as Officer Owens cuffed Toby and walked him to a squad car. "Mommy," PJ exclaimed happily.

Sofia was crying tears of happiness as the boy leapt from Jim's arms to hers. Jim watched her take the boy and saw the expression of joy on her face. "So what does PJ stand for?" he asked quietly.

Looking over the boys light colored hair, Sofia met Jim's questioning gaze. "Patrick James… after my father and his."

Jim smiled and nodded. "We need to talk," he said gently. "But first I have to finish with this."

Sofia nodded. "We'll be waiting," she replied with a tenuous smile.

Above them, Eugene was smiling. "So it all worked out. And they will be okay," he said confidently.

Peter grunted. "They will be but I am not so sure about the two of you," he said darkly. Eugene looked deflated and Rudy sighed. Satisfied that at least Eugene understood the severity of the situation he had caused, Peter continued. "I will need to consult with The Boss before deciding what your punishment will be," he informed them. And then he disappeared.

"Don't worry about it," Rudy said somberly as the two watched Jim watching Sofia buckle PJ in her car. "You'll probably just get probation."

Eugene glanced up at his friend and smiled. "I'll be alright," he said confidently. "He knows now and his life will be better; he'll be happier now. He has so much capacity for love but hasn't had anyone to share it with. Now he does; he will be whole again. So whatever the punishment, it will be worth it."

Rudy shook his head in skepticism and then disappeared leaving Rudy to watch Jim climb in his own car and drive away.

* * *

So what do ya think?


End file.
